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What comes around …

How weird is it that BBC America is airing Ed Vs Spencer when GSN has aired its father — Kenny Vs Spenny? Some explanation — Kenny Vs. Spenny originally aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. but the creators have sold the format to other countries (incl. apparently the UK).

Both shows seem familiar — two friends are challenged to be the best at a certain task (like lose weight or pass as a woman). The UK’s Ed refers to his opponent as “Spenny.” Even the presentation of the title graphic and promo materials are similar.

In KvS (as the hipsters refer to the series which now airs on the Canadian channel Showcase), Kenny cheated while Spenny tried to remain on the up-and-up. The loser, in most cases – Spenny, would be forced to endure a “humiliation” which was usually pretty childish and sometimes funny.

So we find ourselves in a situation where both the Brit clone and the Canadian original will have aired in the United States. I guess there are similar situations (like Food Network simultaneously airing Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, TLC airing the UK’s Scrapheap Challenge as a part of its own Junkyard Wars), but those are most often an American take on the original format. How often do we see a Canadian show and its British knock-off airing on American television?

Of course, some GSN fans loathed Kenny Vs. Spenny. I wonder what sort of reception their Brit cousins will receive?